Portable window-scaffold



10.224410. Patented Feb. 3, I880.

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- v WM/ZOW' MPETERS. RHOTO-LITHQGRAFHER. WASHINGTON. D C,

. 35 inserted into the proper hole.

UNITED STATES PATENT .OFFICE.

JOHN sKInMoR-E, oF cHIoAeo, ILLINOIS.

Po RTABLE wl NDOW-SCAFFOLD.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 224,110, dated February 3, 1880.

Applicationfiled September 2-2, 187 9. i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN SKIDMORE, of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Portable and Adjustable Balcony for Window-Cleaning Purposes; and I hereby declare the following to'be a full, clear, and ex-- My guard is constructed as follows: A A

are two bars, each having a socket, p, formed upon it at one end, through whicha rail, B, is passed. A pin, q, projects from each bar laterally and outwardly near its opposite end, and

. 2 5 a brace, 0, extends from a point near each socket obliquely downward, backward, and slightly outward. Set-screws r permit the clamping of the rail B within the sockets.

To adjust the guard a hole is bored in each 0 side of the casing D at .a suitable height above the sill and outside the sash, whereby the raising and lowering of the same shall not be interfered with by the device. One of the setscrews is tightened and the pin g at that end The other bar is then slid sidewise along the rail until the pin projecting from it enters the opposite hole,

when the second set-screw is likewise tightened. lhe length of the braces O should be 40 such that their lowerends will rest against the outside of the casing when the bars A are horizontal. It is well, also, to provide them with feet by bending their lower ends, as indicated in the drawing. I

5 In order to have my apparatus as light and as strong as possible, I prefer to constructthe bars Aand the rail B of iron tubing, and I recommend one-inch gas-pipe for the purpose.

They may,however, be made solid, and any other suitable material may be used instead.

It will be seen that the construction of my guard is one calculated to givethe highestpossible degree of firm ness; Once in position it is incapable of becoming undesignedly detached, and all outward pressure is resisted by the pins q and all downward pressure by the braces C.

One of the most important features of this guard is, that it is attached to the casing wholly outside the sash, and thus does not interfere with theraising and lowering of the same in the least.

For still greater safety and convenience, especially where the window-ledge is narrow, I add the platform E, suspended to the rail B by two bars, 8, which hook at their upper ends over the said rail. as shown, or are otherwise attached to the same, and at their lower ends are hinged to the outer edge of the platform. To prevent this platform from slipping outward I attach two slotted metal plates, 15, to its inner edge and hook them uponstuds win the window.- sill. Ordinarily I form these metal plates by continuing the iron strips to which the bars 8 are hinged entirely across the under side of 5 the platform and beyond the inner edge. This has the additional advantage of strcn gthening the platform.

It maybe proper to suggest that while, on the one hand, my guard may be used without the platform, the latter, on the other hand, may be used without the guard. This, however, involves a very obvious modification in the matter of attaching the bars 3, which must, in this case,be inclined inward and connected in some suitable manner to the window-casing.

My apparatus,with or without the platform, is well adapted for a fire-escape, owing to the ability'of the rail B to sustain a heavy weight and the safety it afiords to persons climbing 0 out at windows. For this reason it may, when not in use for its ordinary purpose, be left attached to a window at'some easily accessible v point, with a rope conveniently at hand, to be attached to the rail in case of emergency. and thus afford means of descent to the ground without contact with the'wall of the building.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure, by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the bars A, pins q, projecting from the same, as shown, whereby they are adapted to enter holes in the windowcasing, braces O, sockets p, rail B, and setscrews 0', the whole being constructed and arranged to operate substantially as described.

2. In combination with a guard consisting of a rail sustained in position beforea window by means of bars projecting outward from the casing. as set forth, the platform E, resting at its inner edge upon the window-sill, and secured thereto and sustained at its outer edge by bars 8, hinged thereto at one end and connecting at their other ends to the said rail, substantially as described.

3. The portable and adjustable balcony for window-washing purposes, comprising the JOHN SKIDMORE.

In presence of- P. O. DYRENFORTH, EDWARD D. WINSLOW. 

